10 Great Feats in ODI History

On December 8, 2011, India batsman Virender Sehwag smashed a then-record ODI score of 219 against the West Indies in Indore.

Opener Sehwag hit 25 fours and seven sixes as he became just the second player at the time to reach 200 in one-day cricket, joining compatriot Sachin Tendulkar on a very short list.

Since then, Rohit Sharma has managed the feat not once but twice, including setting a new best in the 50-over format when he made 264 against Sri Lanka in November this year.

But to mark Sehwag's milestone, we have picked out 10 amazing ODI feats, from batsmen going big to bowlers dominating opponents. We also have some astonishing finishes in the list.

Did we miss anything out? Let us know what should have been included by using the comments section. 

Viv Richards Reigns in Manchester

Viv Richards blasted a record score of 189 not out against England back in May 1984, although the actual number of runs still doesn’t quite do his efforts justice.

The West Indian almost single-handedly defied the home team at Old Trafford, with the next highest score in the innings being the 26 made by Eldine Baptiste.

With his side struggling at 166-9, Richards combined with Michael Holding to put on a record last-wicket partnership worth 106. Holding contributed 12 as the West Indies ended up making 272-9 from their 55 overs.

Not content with hitting 21 fours and five sixes with the bat, Richards picked up two wickets with the ball to see his side clinch victory over England in Manchester by 104 runs.

Australia Tie with South Africa

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It is tough to know whether Australia pulled off an unlikely feat in winning the 1999 World Cup semi-final, or if South Africa rather threw it away at Edgbaston.

Australia had been restricted to 213 all out after batting first in Birmingham, and the Proteas made an impressive start in their reply, reaching 48 without loss at one stage.

The introduction of Shane Warne into the attack stopped South Africa in their tracks, though Lance Klusener dragged them to the brink of victory with some brutal hitting in the closing stages.

But with the scores tied, Klusener and last man Allan Donald were involved in a horrible mix-up over the potential game-winning run, resulting in the latter being run out. Australia qualified for the final having finished above South Africa in the Super Six stage, and duly went on to thrash Pakistan to lift the trophy.

Chaminda Vaas Flattens Zimbabwe

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Sri Lanka bowler Chaminda Vaas made short work of Zimbabwe in December 2001, claiming an astonishing haul of 8-19 in just eight overs as the tourists were bowled out for 38 in Colombo.

Left-arm paceman Vaas started the procession of wickets with the very first ball of the match, trapping Dion Ebrahim leg before wicket.

He then removed both Flower brothers, Grant and Andy, in his third over, before going one better in his sixth by dismissing Stuart Carlisle, Craig Wishart and Tatenda Taibu.

Heath Streak and Mluleki Nkala also succumbed to Vaas, who took out the top eight in a Zimbabwe batting order that lasted just 15.4 overs. Astonishingly, they would go even lower against the same opponents in 2004, mustering 35 in Harare.

Brilliant Day for Andy Bichel

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Australia were simply too good for anyone to handle in the 2003 World Cup, winning all-but one of their games comfortably on their way to retaining the trophy.

The toughest test captain Ricky Ponting and his side faced during the tournament came in a group game against old rivals England at St George’s Oval in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

That Australia eventually came out on top was down to one man—Andy Bichel. The bowling all-rounder probably thought he had done his work for the day when he claimed 7-20, helping restrict England to 204-8.

Australia, though, were in all sorts of trouble at 135-8 in reply. Out walked Bichel to prove the scourge of England again, making an unbeaten 34 as he and Michael Bevan, who made 74 not out, steered Australia to a nail-biting victory with two balls to spare.

South Africa Achieve the Unthinkable

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Australia set a new world record when they amassed 434-4 in the first innings against South Africa in Johannesburg on March 12, 2006—it was a mark that wouldn’t even last until the end of the day.

Ricky Ponting smashed 164 from just 105 balls, Mike Hussey hammered 81 in a hurry and openers Adam Gilchrist and Simon Katich both made half-centuries as Australia pummelled the Proteas at the New Wanderers Stadium.

The hosts lost Boeta Dippenaar early in their run chase, but that wicket simply allowed Graeme Smith, who made 90, and Herschelle Gibbs to combine in a stand of 187 in less than 21 overs.

Gibbs’ stunning knock of 175 made the seemingly impossible look distinctly probable, though wickets began to fall as the target got closer. In the end, Mark Boucher combined with last man Makhaya Ntini to steer South Africa home with one ball to spare. It was a pretty spectacular way to clinch a 3-2 series victory.

Sri Lanka Waltz Past England

Already 4-0 down in the five-match series in the summer of 2006, England looked like they might at least avoid being swept by Sri Lanka when they made 321-7 at Headingley.

Instead, Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya both hit centuries, the opening pair putting on a record stand of 286 to make what had appeared to be a tough chase turn out to be a walk in the park.

Tharanga made 109 from 102 balls before he eventually became the first wicket to fall for Sri Lanka, caught and bowled by spinner Jamie Dalrymple.

Jayasuriya had 152 to his name by the time the part-time bowling of Vikram Solanki accounted for him. Still, his efforts helped Sri Lanka clinch victory with an astonishing 75 balls to spare.

Herschelle Gibbs Hits 6 Sixes

South African Herschelle Gibbs became the first man to hit six sixes in one over in international cricket at the 2007 World Cup.

Poor Daan van Bunge was the unfortunate bowler on the receiving end, the part-time spinner for the Netherlands finding himself entering the record books for a reason he would probably rather forget.

The feat by Gibbs at least made the one-sided group game memorable, particularly after a wet start had meant the contest was reduced to 40 overs each.

South Africa were making solid progress when batting first before Gibbs exploded into life in the 30th over, though he was perhaps helped a little by the short boundaries at Warner Park in St Kitts.

Sachin Tendulkar Doubles Up

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South Africa were on the receiving end in February 2010 when Sachin Tendulkar became the first man to score 200 in a one-day innings.

The innings by the legendary batsman included 24 fours and three sixes as he scored exactly 200 not out from 147 balls at the superbly named Captain Roop Singh Stadium.

Tendulkar shared a second-wicket partnership worth 194 with Dinesh Karthik, who made 79, and then added an unbroken 101 with his skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, during the carnage in the closing overs.

India ended up making 401-3 in their innings, a score South Africa never got close to in reply. Virender Sehwag made only nine while opening with Tendulkar, though he would go on to break the record set by his team-mate 18 months later.

Ireland Cause World Cup Upset

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Ireland upset the odds to beat England at the 2011 World Cup, as Kevin O’Brien smashed the fastest hundred in World Cup history.

England had made 327-8 from their 50 overs and looked to be coasting to glory when they reduced their opponents to 111-5 in the 25th over.

O’Brien chanced his arm and at first it seemed his big hitting would be no more than a minor frustration to England captain Andrew Strauss and his team. That was until he kept on hitting sixes, six of them in all.

The all-rounder reached three figures off 50 balls, and although he fell for 113 with the finishing line in sight, John Mooney saw Ireland home to a famous triumph over their neighbours with a boundary at the start of the final over.

Rohit Sharma Shatters Record

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Rohit Sharma could be forgiven for being a little rusty when he made his comeback from injury against Sri Lanka in November. By the time his innings had finished at Kolkata, it’s fair to say he was back in the groove.

Sehwag’s record was not just overtaken but left a long way back in the distance; Sharma hit 33 fours and nine sixes as he made 264 from 173 deliveries.

The right-handed batsman had threatened to break his compatriot’s record once before, hitting 209 against Australia in Bangalore just over a year earlier before being dismissed with three balls of his team’s innings remaining.

Forget about passing India’s total of 404-5, Sri Lanka failed to make more than Sharma managed on his own. The tourists were bowled out for 251, meaning they were beaten by the small matter of 153 runs.